Cleaning agent for removal of sticky material and method of making same

ABSTRACT

A PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURING A CLEANING AGENT IN WHICH A NON-IONIC SURFACTANT REPRESENTED BY AN ESTER OF PROPYLENE GLYCOL AND A FATTY ACID, POLYOXYETHYLENE NONYL PHENYL ETHEYL ETHER AND A CATIONIC SURFACTANT SUCH AS LURY TRIMETHYL-AMMONIUM CHLORIDE ARE ADDED TO WATER AND AN ORGANIC SOLVENT SUCH AS PROPYLENE GLYCOL, HEXYLENE GLYCOL AND ETHYL ACETATE.

United States Patent US. Cl. 252-547 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A process for manufacturing a cleaning agent in which a non-ionic surfactant represented by an ester of propylene glycol and a fatty acid, olyoxyethylene nonyl phenyl ether and a cationic surfactant such as lauryl trimethyl-ammonium chloride are added to water and an organic solvent such as propylene glycol, hexylene glycol and ethyl acetate.

This application is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 716,331, filed Mar. 27, 1968, on which the applicants rely for priority, and which is now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a process for manufacturing a cleaning agent in which use is made of a cationic surfactant as an active ingredient.

Heretofore, it has been difficult to remove viscous rubbers, various adhesives, coating material and the like which are stuck to cloth, sheet, floor, wall etc. without damaging the base materials. More particularly, it is almost impossible to completely remove the residue of the chewing gum adhered to suits due to its high stickiness.

In order to remove these sticky materials, organic solvents such as benzene, toluene, carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, etc. have hitherto been used to dissolve the surface of the sticky materials or they are coagulated by refrigerating with ice. However, either of these conventional methods is inconvenient in operation. Furthermore, the use of organic solvents of high infiammability and toxicity entails some risks.

For the purpose of removing those sticky materials, several cleaning agents have been proposed and are presently commercially available. Since, however, these available cleaning agents use anionic surfactants, they are not sufficiently active as a cleaning agent in respect of water insoluble materials, inter alia, the residue of the chewing gum having a high stickiness.

Considerable study and research have been devoted to finding an efiective cleaning agent which overcomes the above disadvantages. A desirable cleaning agent should have a high cleaning activity and should not damage the base material. It should also not undergo a color change when removing the sticky material from the base material. It should also be non-toxic, non-flammable and washable with water immediately after the cleaning treatment. It has now been confirmed that a mixture which comprises a mixture of non-ionic surfactants such as an ester of propylene glycol and a fatty acid, together with polyoxyethylene nonylphenylether, and preferably a cationic surface active agent such as lauryltrimethylammonium chloride, when added to water and in a clear organic solvent such as hexylene glycol, propylene glycol, and a small amount of ethyl acetate is effective as a cleaning agent for removing sticky materials. It must be mentioned that in the removal of the sticky materials from the base materials, particularly cloth, it is essential to reduce the surface tension by somewhat softening the adhered surface of the sticky material.

3,761,429 Patented Sept. 25, 1973 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is thus a principal object of the invention to provide a new cleaning agent having a high removal activity.

It is another object of the invention to provide a new cleaning agent which enables removal of sticky material without damaging and discoloring the base material to which the materials stick.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a new cleaning agent which is non-toxic, inflammable and washable with water immediately after the cleaning operation.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a new cleaning agent in which use is made of a cationic surfactant as an essential component.

The cleaning agent according to the invention is characterized in that the adhered surface of the sticky material is softened somewhat so that the surface tension thereof is relaxed to permit the manual and complete removal, which is fundamentally different from the conventional manner where the sticky material or the bonding agent per se is dissolved for the purpose of removal.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT wherein R is an alkyl group containing from C to C carbon atoms; i.e. the fatty acids contain from 12 to 22 carbon atoms.

In making the monoester, one mole of the fatty acid reacts with the propylene glycol. Representative acids are lauric, myristic, palmitic, stearic, arachic (arachidic) and behenic, with stearic and palmitic being the preferred acids for this purpose.

The olyoxyethylene nonylphenylether used in the practice of this invention may contain 3 to 10 oxyethylene groups of the formula:

(CH CH O) for a molecular weight in the range of 350 to 660, preferably 440.

The following example is illustrative of the present invention:

Example I Percent Monoester of propylene glycol and stearic acid 0.31 Polyoxyethylene nonyl phenyl ether (M.W. 440) 0.13

Lauryl trimethylammonium chloride 0.06 Ethyl acetate 9.05 Hexylene glycol 18.10 Propylene glycol 18.10 Water 54.25

Lauryl trimethylammonium chloride has excellent surface treating and antistatic properties, while polyoxyethylene nonyl phenyl ether is hydrophilic and has excellent permeability and are used in the cleaning agent accordingly.

Hexylene glycol and propylene glycol used as solvents are effective to soften the residue of chewing gum containing natural chicle, while ethyl acetate is effective to soften the residue of the chewing gum containing synthetic resin.

The effect of the cleaning agent according to the invention was tested in comparison with a commercially available removing agent in respect of the residue of the chewing gum stuck to the suits, paper, desk, floor and the like, and an excellent removal and cleaning effect has been confirmed.

Further, the cleaning agent according to the invention is serviceable as a sterilizer as it contains a cationic surfactant.

In using the cleaning agent according to the invention, the agent is applied to the rear surface of the thin base materials such as cloth or paper so that the sticky materials may be removed immediately.

Further, in case of the cleaning of the materials stuck to the stationary base such as a wall, floor, etc., the cleaning agent is poured onto the sticky materials so that the adhered surface thereof is softened owing to its permeating activity and accordingly the sticky materials may be removed with ease.

Although the present invention has been described in conjunction with preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that modifications and variations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as those skilled in the art will readily understand. Such variations and modifications apparent to those skilled in the art are considered to be within the purview and scope of the invention and the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A cleaning agent for removal of sticky material which comprises 0.31% by weight of monoester of propylene glycol and stearic acid, 0.13% by weight of polyoxyethylene nonyl phenyl ether of a molecular weight of 440, 0.06% by weight of lauryl trimethylammonium chloride, 9.05% by weight of ethyl acetate, 18.10% by weight of hexylene glycol, 18.10% by weight of propylene glycol and 54.25% by Weight of water.

2. A cleaning agent for removal of sticky material which comprises 0.31% by weight of monoester of propylene glycol and palmitic acid, 0.13% by weight of polyoxyethylene nonyl phenyl ether of a molecular weight of 440, 0.06% by weight of lauryl trimethylammonium 4 chloride, 9.05% by weight of ethyl acette, 18.10% by weight of hexylene glycol, 18.10% by weight of propylene glycol and 54.25% by weight of water.

3. A method for removing sticky materials that are adhered to a substrate wherein the following composition is applied to the substrate:

Percent Monoester of propylene glycol and a fatty acid containing from 12 to 22 carbon atoms 0.31 Polyoxyethylene nonyl phenyl ether with a molecular weight range of 350 to 660 0.13 Lauryltrimethylammonium chloride 0.06 Ethyl acetate 9.05 Hexylene glycol 18.10 Propylene glycol 18.10 Water 54.25

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,374,213 4/1945 Katzman 252547 2,950,255 8/1960 Goff 252547 X 3,250,718 5/1966 Foley et al 252548 X 3,368,977 2/1968 Tuvell 252541 X OTHER REFERENCES Randlett et al.: Spotting, Published by National Institute of Drycleaning, Inc., Silver Spring, Md. (1956), pp. 89, 90, 74, 75.

RICHARD D. LOVERING, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

8137; 25ll06, 170, 171, DIG. l, DIG. 14 

